Malaysia's leader said on Saturday communications aboard a missing jet were switched off and its course deliberately changed by someone on board before the aircraft disappeared a week ago, but stopped short of saying it had been hijacked.

Ukraine braced on Saturday for a breakaway vote in Crimea as deadly violence flared again in the ex-Soviet country's tinderbox east amid the biggest east-west showdown since the Cold War.

Finally, the TRS chief K Chandrashekhara Rao has broken his silence over possibility of an alliance with the Congress in Telangana. After saying a firm 'no' to merger with the Congress, KCR has now ruled out any alliance with the Congress in both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections to be held on April 30.

The Bharatiya Janata Party's much anticipated list of Lok Sabha candidates is expected shortly which will end the the suspense over who will contest from Varanasi - its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi or party veteran Murli Manohar Joshi.

The Delhi High Court has confirmed death penalty to all four convicts of the December 16 Delhi gangrape and murder case. The four were convicted in September 2013 for raping and murdering a 23-year-old paramedical student.

Soils In India

Soil is formed when rocks break down into very small pieces by natural forces.Alluvial,black,red,laterite,mountain and desert are different types of soils.

Leaching

Removal of minerals from the soil due to passing of water through it.

Humus

Fertilizer formed from dead leaves and plants in the soil.

Different types of Soil in India

Mountain SoilMountain soil is found on hill slopes.Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh have mountain soil.

Mountain soil is rich in humus. Wheat,maize,barley,fruits,tea,coffee and spices are grown in such soil.

Desert SoilDesert soil is found in places where there is little rain. The soil in the desert regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat is sandy. Some crops like heat,millets,barley,maize,pulses and cotton can be grown on sandy soils.

Red SoilRed soil is mostly found in Tamil Nadu,Karnataka,parts of Maharashtra,Andhra Pradesh,MP,Orissa and Jharkhand.Crops such as cotton,wheat,rice,millets,pulses and tobacco can be grown in it.

Laterite SoilLaterite soil is found in small areas in Maharashtra,Orissa,West Bengal,Karnataka,Andhra Pradesh,Kerala,Bihar,Assam and Meghalaya.It develops as a result of leaching in places where it rains heavily.It is used for growing tea,coffee,rubber and coconut and fruits.

Alluvial SoilAlluvial soil is found in the northern and coastal plains of India.The rivers coming from the Himalaya mountains and the Deccan Plateau bring large quantities of sand and silt with them.This is deposited on the river banks.Alluvial Soil is very fertile. Crops such as rice,wheat,maize,sugarcane,tobacco,cotton,jute,pulses,oilseeds and vegetables grow well in this soil.

Black SoilBlack soilis black in color.It has been formed from lava rocks.It is also called black lava soil.Black soil is found in Deccan Trap which covers large areas of Maharashtra,Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.It is suitable for cotton, sugarcane,wheat,millets,tobacco and oilseeds.